It is worth taking the time to read in its entirety…but here is one excerpt that I think captures our anger, frustration, and deep desire to create radical change in the midwifery community for the sake of improving maternal and child health in this country:

We acknowledge the injustice of the fact that the white-dominated midwifery community continues to regard the health impacts of racism and colonialism as a special interest issue. This is a reflection of cultural dominance and a denial of basic human dignity. We bear witness to the fact that this has isolated midwives of color. It is unjust to expect midwives of color to bear the burden of addressing the problems of racial disparities in maternal and perinatal outcomes. We acknowledge that the dramatically higher rates of infant and maternal mortality for African American and Native American women in the US represent violence against women and children, and we are all responsible for addressing this. Denying the reality of these differences, disputing the causes, and withholding our full attention and energy from the problem constitute acts of gross negligence as midwives. We recognize the need to universalize an understanding of these concepts and integrate them into a shared world-view.